Several reports have suggested that US President Donald Trump is planning to completely dismantle the Department of Education. During the 2024 election campaign, Trump had repeatedly promised to do away with the department if he won a second term in power. However, Trump cannot abolish the department without the approval of Congress. Launched in 1980, the US Department of Education currently has some 4,400 employees and a $79 billion annual budget. It is primarily responsible for managing federal loans for college and university students, collecting data on students' progress and implementing anti-discrimination protections.
Trump mentions that the Department of Education has too much spending power, even as global metrics show the United States lagging far behind other countries in school standards. He has also criticized US schools as being too liberal.
Executive orders signed by Trump in education
Trump has recently signed several hot-button topics in education -- including race, gender, and college campus protests.
One order called "Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling" seeks to limit teachings on race-related issues and gender identity, while establishing a commission to promote "patriotic education" that paints the United States in a positive light. In addition to teaching changes, it also seeks to block school policies accommodating transgender students, such as by requiring teachers to use pronouns correlating with a students' gender, and limiting locker room access by gender.
Another order seeks to expand so-called school choice, in which students can receive public funding to attend non-public establishments. The approach is favored mostly by Republicans.
He also signed an order called "Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism," which responds to the widespread protests on college campuses that erupted following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. The document targets vandalism on campuses and discrimination against Jewish students that occurred during the months-long demonstrations.
(With inputs from AFP)
